Distractions
by BeverlyQueen
Summary: His desk never had distractions before he joined the league and got a family.


**A/N: some of my friends have pointed out that this story is similar to another story on fan fiction, but I'd like to point out I have never read or seen the other story until I'd finished this. It's actually based on my friend's dad whose desk at work is barren but his home desk has pictures, toys and mementos that me and my friends have gotten for him. **

Oliver Queen was never really what you'd call a sentimental person, actually not many people knew had emotions at all, they all thought he was the ice king of Star City. Sure, he had heaps of money to buy whatever he wanted from where ever in the world he wanted but what else in the world did he need. Of course he had several nice phones, computers and video recorders, but memories of good times or photos. Not really something he usually did.

Sure there were heaps of photos of him all over the internet and media but most of them were of him drunk, passed out or with the latest girl of the hour.

So of course his desk held no trinkets or anything of sentimental value.

This wasn't his desk at Queen Industries or any of his other desks. Those particular desks always have been barren and always will be, but for good reasons. Any distractions that were on his desk would stop him from doing paperwork. That's why all his assistants made sure that the counter top of his desk only housed a clock, his laptop, pens and whatever he had to sign, read or plan something or other. He didn't know why they bothered; he never got anything done anyway no matter how many distractions he had.

The other desk however, the one in his apartment, the one he actually worked and cared about when it wasn't covered in papers, coffee mugs empty or cold, and plates. The only reason he paid a bit of attention to this particular desk was that it for a long time only had one 'distraction' on its surface.

Before becoming Green Arrow, the only thing that rested on the glass table was a frame. One singular frame that was it. Inside was a picture of his parents and him in the park two years before they'd died. He was about 5 or 6 years old wearing his favourite baseball teams shirt, he'd worn that shirt for years till it literally feel apart while he was wearing it. His mum and dad were smiling but you could clearly see that they'd just come from work to see him. His father was dressed impeccably in a three piece suit with an expensive watch, while his mother as usual was dressed in heels, jacket and matching pencil skirt but for today her hair was down.

Perhaps it stayed there for so long because he never remembers to store it somewhere else. After all it making everything else so cluttered. But then again it was probably because it was the only photo of his family that he had left. He never really dwelled on those thoughts. Though he wouldn't admit it, it actually made him feel a bit happier on occasions.

After he came back from being on the island and sort of cleaned up his act, he'd gotten letters from Queen Industry's staff welcoming him home or thankyou cards from charities and foundations who he'd given money to, photos from events and those from board members parties or other things.

Time passed and all that was on his desk was that photo as well as the button to the hidden wall to the Green Arrow room. Of course he was given more things meant to hold a place in his memories, but most ending up being stored away in boxes in the hallway cupboards.

But as soon as he made a team of superheroes, memories became mementos.

The first thing that he received was after the first team mission was a small piece of metal, ripped off from a ruined door of a 33.1 facility. It had been shined, re painted and engraved to the words _"come on, boys, let's go save the world"._

It was a present from Victor, AC and Bart from their first mission together as a team. It had been sitting on his desk one afternoon and after smiling and laughing he'd gotten it framed and a little plaque inscribing_ "well done boys". _

The next thing to finds its way between papers, coffee and blueprints of new arrows was a head of an arrow in a small black box seated on blue velvet also from a league member, to be exact, from the one and only Black Canary.

He'd dubbed her the 'pretty bird' of the team who quickly became the den mother of the ragged band superheroes. From the first day that Ollie meet her he knew she would be a snarky little know it all and that they'd clash heads, hate each other but somehow become best friends. So it wasn't surprising that she ended up contributing to the desk.

The contribution was a gift or a thank you present from Dinah Lance herself for saving her life during a mission that had gone wrong. It was simply the head of an arrow that had been damaged when he had shot it at a wall to distract some guy from stabbing her in the throat. The arrow was accompanied by a note written in probably the neatest cursive script he'd ever seen, reading "thank you – BC". Ollie always smiled at the memory of this particular desk memento as she had come to his office to give him the present, he had insulted her and she had thrown the box at him, leaving a rather large dent in the bottom of the box.

Over time, more and more of his teammates came to the apartment and more and more things ended up on his desk.

Now whenever he needed a distraction or have some down time alone, he had things on his desk to look at or play with. Some were memories, some were photos, there were even a couple of toys on his desk, and many of which were pranks or gag gifts.

Photos probably took up most of the desk, photos of the league and their friends as well as a gag photo from Clark of him asleep on the couch with Clark's dog Shelby as well as Dinah's dog Milo licking ice cream off his face that had someone had dripped all over him. An original copy of the reporters rule framed from Lois Lane, to remind him of her rules that she constantly made him read from time to time. A photo of him dressed as Santa with some kids from the hospital who he had visited at Christmas. He could just see Lois dressed as an elf laughing her butt off behind the camera, while he could just see the other leaguers as well in the background clearly laughing. To this day he's not quite sure is they were laughing at him or Milo who had a red nose and reindeer ears.

The last thing the rented space on his desk was a thankyou letter from a little child who he had helped while at an orphanage. The letter was accompanied by a photo that Dinah had taken of him and the little girl Beverly as he had given her a china doll. The note was badly written and pretty unreadable but for some reason it was one of the most prized of his possession.

All these things on his desk just gave him more of a feeling that he did have a family and friends and that his desk was now filling up with mementos, things that actually meant something to him. For memories that can be caught and captured forever.

For now his table space was consumed by objects with emotional value. Plus he had something to distract him from his work, which wasn't half bad.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Small footsteps headed down the wooden floored corridor towards the office, a little bunny being dragged along beside the small girl. Her blonde curly hair pulled back by a blue ribbon matching her blue butterfly pyjamas. She skipped down the hall and slowly peeked around the corner expecting to see her father working on his computer but instead he was sitting in front of his desk string at the photos and stuff on his desk.

Sneaking around the corner she weaselled herself under the desk making a shhing noise to Shelby who was lying under the table as the dog cocked his head slightly to the side. Crawling under desk and next to the chair, she jumped up onto her dad's lap.

"DADDY!" she yelled

"Beverly" said Ollie jumping back and catching the little girl in his arms.

"Hi" said the little girl

"Don't do that" said Ollie as he ran his hands through her blonde curls

"sowwy" said Beverly as she reached over and picked up the newest addition to the desk. A photo of Dinah, Ollie, Lois, Clark and Beverly at the Christmas dinner at the Kent's, Beverly was on Clark shoulders while Lois and Dinah made sure that she didn't fall and Ollie was making bunny ears behind the two girls.

"Me" said Beverly pointing to herself in the frame "Nina and Lois and Clarky" she pointed to each of them in turn.

"Are you ever going to stop calling him Clarky?" Ollie asked the 5 year old.

"No, Lois said that was his name" said Beverly with a confused smile.

"You are an evil little girl aren't you?" said Ollie smiling and hugging her. "Bedtime for you" he picked her up and rested him on his hip as he stood up before kissing her on the cheek. "go brush your teeth and I'll be in for a bedtime story" he placed her on the ground.

Beverly smiled and nodded before running off down the corridor. Ollie smiled and looked back at his desk at all the photos and mementos. He never thought he'd have a family. But looking at the photos, arrow and piece of metal he knew that he did have one. They needed him and he needed them. He now had a daughter; friends and hopefully those people will become his family.

He looked at the clock beside him before heading towards Beverly's room. He knew those family and friends will always be there just like the photos.


End file.
